Package



J 1929- E. L. SMITH El AL PACKAGE Original Filed Sept. 12. 1922 ATTORNEYS Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER LOVELL SMITI-LAND FREDERIC B. FULLER, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNORS TO PACKAGE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PACKAGE.

Original application filed September 12, 1922, Serial No. 503,262. Divided and this application filed January 31,, 1924.

This invention relates to improvements in packages and this application is a division of our pending application, Serial No. 503,262, filed Sept. 12, 1922.

Prior to our invention, it has been usually customary to form a package by folding the wrapper thereof at opposite ends of the article into overlapping drug store or )olnt folds and in order to overlap these olds, it is,-of course, necessary to provide a Wrapper having a length that is at least equal to one half the perimeter of the article. This method meets With many objections and disadvantages, one of which is that considerably more wrapping material is used than is necessary to completely wrap the article by reason of the length required to provide the overlapping end folds. Another objection is that the overlapped end folds constitute a number of thick nesses of wrapping material resulting in a package having bulging or rounded'ends instead of the flat ends desired.

One object of our invention is to provide a package employing a wrapper of shorter length than heretofore used, thereby accomplishing a saving in wrapping material.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a package, the end folds of which are spaced apart to expose a portion of the ends of the article and to provide a package having fiat ends that do not bulge.

A further object is the provision of a label applied to the folded wrapper ends and exposed article ends for holding the folds and for covering and protecting the said article ends.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an isometric view of an article having a wrapper about four of its sides; 7

Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are similar views, showing the wrapper ends as they appear after the various folding operations.

Fig. 6 is an isometric View of a completed package formed according to invention.

The invention is applicable to the forming of packages with articles of various I sizes and shapes but for the purposes of description, will be considered in connection with an article A of prismatic shape having a rectangular cross section. The package may Serial No. 689,667.

be formed by the use of a machine such as disclosed in our pending application abeve referred to, but may be formed by hand after the manner now to be described.

A wrapper W is first placed around the four sides of the article A with its side edges arranged in an overlapping relation at one side of the article and having end portions forming tubular extensions, 1, 2, 3, and 4 at the ends of the article. The length of the wrapper W is preferably less than one-half the perimeter of the article for the purposes as will later be more fully described.

The overlapping side edges of the wrapper are preferably glued or otherwise secured together at one of the sides of the article, but may be left unattached if desired, depending upon the nature. of the article being wrapped. The wrapper end extension 1 is folded against the article as shown in Fig. 2 after which the extension 2 is folded upwardly in a similar manner against the ends of the article as shown in Fig. 3. The end extension 3 is next folded and lastly the extension 4 as shown in F ig.'5. As will be seen the marginal edges of the folded extensions are spaced apart to provide a central opening to expose a portion of the ends of the article A. Accordingly, as it may be desired the said extensions 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be folded in the order of succession described or in any other convenient order.

The exposed portion of the article ends may be advantageously employed to display printed matter or the like that may be visible by means to be later described. The area of the exposed portion of the article ends may be Varied at will and is governed or controlled by the selection of a wrapper of such a length as to give the desired length of extensions at the ends of the article.

A label or end seal X is provided and is placed over the folded flaps as shown in Fig. 6. Previously to its application to the package, it is preferably smeared adjacent its edges with glue or other adhesive by the means of which the said seal is adapted to hold the flaps in their folded relation and covers the. exposed portion of the article end. Glue also may be applied to the central portion of the seal so that it will be secured against the ends of the article to thereby hold the flaps snugly against the end of the article to produce a package having fiat unbulged ends.

The seal may be of transparent material to expose printed matter that may be carried by the exposed ends of the article or of course may itself carry any desired form of ornamentation.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that the article is completely enclosed by a wrapper that is much less in length than -Would be necessarily employed when the common drug store or point fold is used and that consequently a considerable saving of wrapping material is effected. Also it will be noted that by the elimination of the overlapped points of the drug store folds here tofore employed that there is not a multiplicity of thicknesses of Wrapper at the center of the package ends which produces bulging ends. On the contrary, by the use of our in vention, we are able to produce a package hazing the desired comparatively fiat smooth en s.

Changes in the form of the package may be made in the practice of our invention without departing from the scope thereof and we therefore prefer to be limited by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What we claim is:

A package of the character described comprising in combination a rectangular article, a wrapper covering the sides of the article and folded partially only over the ends of the article, said wrapper being unattached to the article by adhesive, and a label adherently secured 'both to the end folds of the wrapper and to the end of the article to hold the wrapper in place upon the article.

In testimony whereof we have aiiixed our signatures. ELMER LOVELL SMITH.

FREDERIG B. FULLER. 

